After Twenty Years
by Tosa
Summary: Naruto arrives at Iruka's gravestone to explain just why he hasn't visited in such a long time. Slowly, as the sun begins to set, a bittersweet saga of death and ironic circumstance begins to unfold... taking place 20 years before. Naruto x Tenten
1. A Visit

_After Twenty Years_ was named after an old, short-story by an old-English author I had to read in Lit. The stories here and there are completely the opposite, but I still felt the title was perfect for this sort of thing. (and if you look closely, you can see the influence the original had on my writing style and description...) After all, I haven't written any fanfiction for a while. I felt it was time for an ice-breaker.

_After Twenty Years_ is basically a sad, flashback fic where Naruto tells the story of what he'd been doing in the twenty years since he'd last visited his teacher's grave. It's a romance, a drama, and if you squint again, a rather light-hearted story... When characters aren't being killed off, that is.

-Tosa

---------------------------------------------

_I'd rather be hurt to heal than die painlessly alone..._

The addictive smell of burnt earth filled the crisp air of the summer morning. The ground had begun to bake in the blinding light, and rarely would one be caught running around at this time when the sun hung direct overhead in the sky...

Naruto found this to be the perfect time to go grave-visiting.

So he hopped lazily down from the small expense of porch that was just outside of his apartment door happily finishing off his pocky, careful not to let the sticky vanilla get on his ANBU uniform.

No leaves were scattered across the pavement; it was bare, and perfectly clean. Unlike when he had last visited his beloved teacher, there was no haunting noise of crunching underfeet, like broken bones slowly crackling to dust...

Naruto stopped as he neared the familiar expanse of trees.

_This was it._

It was strange to not see Kakashi there... Not like he was able to visit anymore, the man had died about two years before.

But alas, he wasn't there for Kakashi. He was here for another... Two, actually.

He walked towards the large slab of stone, and (with a grunt only a man of thirty-seven could expense) hunkered down on his haunches.

Naruto squinted his piercing blue eyes at the name carved in the middle;

**Umino Iruka**

**shinobi, teacher, father**

He sighed sadly. He had found it.

"Sorry I haven't been to visit you in a while," he said with a good-humored chuckle.

"How long's it been?"

The gravestone remained silent.

"Twenty years... just as I thought."

Naruto let a small, feeling-less smile grow across his whiskered face.

"Hey. How's Kakashi? He dissapointed at the lack of porn heaven has?"

He flicked a speck of dust of the stone.

"Y'know, Shikamaru died last year... Pretty awful. Lots of blood. Poor guy was only Thirty-six... But then again, I guess you already know that."

He sat back, exhaling a large amount of air as the sun beat relentlessly down.

"So... What've I been up to the past twenty years?"

Naruto blinked slowly. It was strange how... good it felt to finally 'speak' with his old father-figure's gravestone.

"Tons happened, actually... Like this," he paused to motion at his uniform, "which happened just a few months before she died... lovely summer's eve, just like this."

A dry laugh echoed through the surrounding shrubbery. What was wrong with him, talking to a _rock?_

"Oh! And Sakura and Lee got hitched... Sasuke came back, but then again you were there for that... And Hinata married him."

He paused again; he hadn't noticed how hot it... _wasn't_ outside.

"Maybe I should just start from the beginning..."

----------------------------------

It had all been a quick, painless event. In fact, he had been there.

One moment, he and Iruka were talking, his teacher laying back in his hospital bed pale as a ghost. Yet despite this, the laughter seemed to lighten him; maybe make him seem happier, alive.

Naruto had paused only a moment; _just a moment._

When he had turned around, the gift he'd gotten for his teacher in hand, he found his head rolled back, eyes closed, looking so peaceful...

Immediately, the blonde had dropped the "free ramen" coupon for Ichiraku's, running to seak Tsunade, or any help he could find.

The funeral had been held just a week later. And all the while, it had rained...

Naruto had arrived home from it so late; he had been listening to 'I'm so sorries' all week and even more today, and he could just puke. Yet when they said nothing, he felt cheated.

Sasuke was being released from the ANBU tomorrow; then everyone could greet him properly.

It was a bit early, but then again, Sasuke had been so horribly injured from the fight, he was beyond repair... It wasn't like he even had the _energy_, much less the remaing skill to hurt anyone.

Naruto bit his lips, eyes glassy as he stared into space, still in the doorway, not caring if the nice red carpet got soaked in rain water or not.

He let the rain beat down on the nice material of his black jacket... How funny fate worked out sometimes. Maybe Neji was right, and their lives were just already planned; either small, furry animals could live happily ever after in the hole, or someone could shit in it.

He rested his forehead on the cold doorframe.

_I wish this woud stop..._

He wished his life would slow down for once... Or at least take a turn for the better.

Finally, deciding he had ruined the front interior of his apartment and clothes long enough, he trudged fully inside, closing the door behind him.

The phone ringing nearly gave him a heart attack.

He quickly ran into the kitchen, muddy shoes leaving brownspots on the floor as he grabbed the reciever from the wall; "Hello?"

"Naruto?"

It was good to hear the familiar, feminen voice wafting daintily over the other end. He shook the happy thoughts from his head; She was Lee's now.

"Yeah, Sakura?"

"Uhmmm... H-how was the funeral?"

His face fell. Naruto had been hoping to forget that for at least another day.

"It was fine,"

His voice was dim, shaky.

"O-oh. I Just got back now, I hadn't even..."

The line began to crackle with the obvious hints of her sobbing.

"Sakura, please... Dont-"

"I'm just..!! Hold on a sec!!"

He almost laughed at the sound of her pulling the phone from her mouth as she hyperventilated. One minute ticked past on the clock.

"I'm done."

Silence.

"Sakura?"

More silence.

"Are you okay?"

He was tempted to hang up when out of the blue...

"Lee proposed to me, you know."

"Ah, really?"

"Yes! I was so happy when I was on my way back... Then this happened, and-"

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

Another several minutes of sickening silence. So much for 'happiest moment' of a girl's life.

"Hey. Y'know what Sai told me the other day?"

He could hear her giggle; so she _did_ know what was coming.

"No, what did he tell you?"

"'Every time there's an awkward silence, a gay baby is born.'" he said, mimicking Sai's breezy voice and exact wording.

Racaus laughter broke over the line, flooding his ears.

"Oh my gawd! Did he really?"

"Yes. Then I told him there must have been a looong one when he was born..."

Easily, the conversation had slid from uncomfortable to utterly cozy in mere moments, and immediately Naruto made a mental note to thank Sai the next day.

They spoke for a while and, when Sakura finally had leave (her favorite soap opera was on), the distinct feeling of dread he had had just an hour earlier began to settle in.

Stiffly, he staggered to his bedroom, only pausing to remove his jacket before falling to the soft, linen covers of the bed. He gave a sad sigh.

Slowly, Naruto allowed for the warm hands of sleep to engulf him.


	2. Expendable

A week and four days after the funeral took place, the ranks were posted outside Tsunade's office. It was a new system that had been developed to anounce a person's triumphs (and defeats) to the town publicly, and usually it seemed to work... Since people often 'lost' their letters of rejection.

The first Chunin exam of the year had just ended about a month ago, and as people crowded to see if they'd gotten it or not, a tingle of excitement ran rampant through the crowd as the news of the new ANBU captain swept through.

Naruto stared dumbfounded at the board tacked neatly on the maple-wood door, taken aback at the fine, print handwriting;

**Naruto Uzumaki**

He looked it over and over, wondering if they had made a mistake. The only reason he'd chosen to come was to see if he had even gotten in... and came to find this.

A strong, cat-nailed hand clamped firm on his muscular shoulder, a bark-like laugh echoing behind him. A strong, nasty smell of dog wafted in the air.

"Damn, you sure screwed Neji over! He was the one closest to the job before you came around..." Kiba's slit-thin eyes happily bounced off the blonde shock of hair in front of him to said Hyuuga.

"Isn't that right, Ne..?"

His face fell.

"Neji..?"

Neji stared ahead, face stricken in horror as his eyes scanned the listing of names.

Kiba scowled, the red markings beneath his eyes bunching up. "Can't you just accept defeat?"

Neji stared forward without a word. It was almost as if he hadn't heard the obnoxious comment... though it was nigh impossible.

Lee came up behind Naruto and Kiba, incredibly thick eyebrows furrowed worriedly as he shook his head.

"It's not that; _look!_"

Both boys followed his finger to the newly-appointed 'expendables' list.

"Yeah... so what?" Naruto asked, raising a brow of his own.

"Look closer..."

And they did.

The Inuzuka paled, immediately embarassed for his fool-hardy mistake. "Oh... Oh, Neji, I'm so-"

"I-I can't believe it..." the brunette mumbled, corners of his mouth twitching. "Tenten..."

Naruto stared forward, eyes studying the name closely. All it said was... Tenten.

"Are you sure it's her? There's no last name, and..."

"Of course it is!" Neji yelled angrily, pupiless lavendar eyes glaring at him with dark disgust.

"I don't know if she's the only Tenten, but she _is_ the only one without a clan!"

He pinched the skin between his eyes, nicely arched eyebrows furrowed in stress.

"I-I can't..."

Lee looked on worriedly. Kiba attempted to comfort him.

Naruto slowly backed away. He'd never known Tenten all that well, and to him, she'd always been in the background... She'd never done anything quite that memorable, nor had she ever been _involved._ She just didn't seem to exist.

He headed away from the hubub and din of the crowd, the voices, and Neji's defeat.

Naruto's eyes scanned the foresty area, looking for a place that would be good for training.

The bright sun left no effect to the temperature, as it was cold, and his breath hung a light, dusty gray.

The sound of clinking metal caught his attention.

-----------------------------------------

Tenten stood, hunched over as she watched her shuriken hit their mark.

Her face was flushed, and she was panting harder than she should have. She could almost feel the double-buns rolled neat atop her head begin to loosen...

Quietly, the kunoichi cursed under her breath. Off by three lines... She wasn't even close to hitting the target.

The trees on the edge of the clearing some yards away rustled, and she immediately stood up straight, kunai in hand.

A tall, decently muscular form made its way through the vegetation, a wild shock of spiky blonde hair whipping crazily in the wind...

And three marks per cheek, like whiskers.

Despite herself, Tenten smiled. The maverick, Naruto...

He had become quite attractive since his youth... And he didn't wear nearly as much orange. A black, short-sleeve hung loose from his well-shapen chest, a plain pair of ratty jeans on his lower half.

"So, Mr. ANBU Captain... What brings you here?"

He looked up, as if embarassed to see her. His eyes quick darted to the side, and she found herself sighing indignantly; so he _did_ know.

The brisk, chill air filled with an eerie silence, and Tenten let out a discouraged huff.

"Yo! I asked you something!"

Naruto's eyes came to meet her gaze, and her breath caught momentarily in her throat; my _god,_ how his eyes were blue!

"Ah... I just needed a walk... to get away from the noise." He bit his lip. "Did you see..?"

"Obviously," she said dryly. "How'd you think I knew about the whole ANBU thing?"

"O-oh..." he said quietly, blushing.

She shrugged him off, turning back to view the tree. It had been sliced to ribbons by her misses.

To her slight dismay, he came closer, magnificent eyes focused on only her.

"Would... you like to train with me?"

Her heart fluttered momentarily; did he..?

But suddenly, Tenten's face shifted to mirror her anger.

Her head whipped around, and she was about to say, "Are you mocking me?!" when out of the blue, her hair buns came loose.

Chocolate colored hair fell slighty past her shoulders, hair ties fluttering to the grass below. Her face fell with them

"Shit!" she cussed again, leaning down to pick them up. It was utter hell to put those stupid things back in; she usually spent all morning trying to get them right.

She dug through the dew-covered grass for the first one; they were wet now, and she had no intention to put them back in...

A large hand gingerly held both out to her, rested gently on tanned skin.

She looked up an, for the first time, their eyes met fully. Tenten choked.

"These are yours..." Naruto said absently, eyes never really leaving her face. He appeared to be studying her, and the more those eyes watched her, the more she could feel something beginning to crumble away...

Quickly, Tenten grabbed them back, standing straight up.

"Th-thanks..."

She lifted a hand to put them back when Naruto gently took her hand in his.

"Don't bother. They might come out again..." a small smile crept onto his face. "Besides... It looks good down."

Tenten stared at this strange man, wondering how on earth he could... _lie_ so well. The whole reason she wore the buns was because they were so different; all other girls wore their hair down, or in unexciting ponytails. She didn't like to be like them. She wasn't _pretty_ enough for that.

But either way, she pocketed the ties.

"So, would you like to mess with me? Or don't you hang out with _big shots?_"

She narrowed her eyes; not hostily, but playfully.

"Awright, I'll accept your challenge."

Naruto winked.

"You'll have to catch me first..."

And he was gone.

-------------------------------

"Gawd, that was fast! I was hoping I could stretch that a few hours..."

"Well, you're not too bad yourself," Tenten said, dark eyes shining happily.

Their cheeks were flushed, and even in the crisp, cold weather they found themselves panting.

Tenten had decided to pull her hair back in a ponytail after all; if only to keep it out of her eyes.

The blonde whiped a sweaty lock of hair from his forehead.

"Daaamn, that was fun... You're great! They must've made a mistake, there's no way you can be an expe-"

He sucked in a dry breath.

"O-oh, sorry, I-"

Tenten let loose a wild hoot of laughter.

"No big deal, really! It's nothing!" She smiled. "I have to be good... That way I won't die, and I can live to see the day when I go from 'expendable' to... to..."

"Super-important boss-lady," Naruto said simply.

"Yes! That," she laughed again.

She stood up straighter now, a serious frown now adorning her face.

"But... That _was _a stupid move... if I was a bit more sensitive, I might've cried..."

"Oh, dear lord..." Narutogroaned, burying his face in a hand; this couldn't be good...

"In fact..." Tenten said slowly, noticing how the tree's shadows were beginning to stretch as the sun faded beneath the horizon.

"...You should treat me to ramen."

The ANBU captain looked up, stunned. She found herself giggling at his strangled expression.

And that was the beginning of that.


	3. Ramen and Bookshops

Sasuke blinked, head swimming from the thickness of his own thoughts.

He sat in solitude at the smaller scatter of shops near the edge of Konoha. They were places that sold old, dusty books and little pointless trinkets... the types of places forgotten as soon as they opened, even by their own owners, so they were often found unattended. The perfect place to be alone.

He stretched back, perfect, raven black hair swaying in and out of his way of vision. Everything about him seemed slow nowadays.

Sasuke touched the skin of his palm to his forehead; cold. Like ice. Or death.

He squinted ahead at the dark canopy of green that lie just ahead. He wondered to himself whether or not he'd be able to take so much green so much longer. In all truths, he was sick of the color.

"Sasuke?"

The voice was soft, delicate, yet still it made him jump.

Sasuke looked up, smoky-gray eyes taking in whoever it may be.

Hinata. Shy little heir of the Hyuuga clan.

Her pale eyes filled with great interest at finding him there; shouldn't a _cripple_ like him be sitting in a hospital bed, or rotting in a dark corner?

She didn't actually say this, or even think of it for that matter. But Sasuke's cynical side made him believe she was.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as if it was strange - and it probably was - to see someone on that side of town.

"I could ask you the same," Sasuke replied just as quiet.

"The bookstore..." She motioned towards a pathetic-looking shamble nearby. "I visit it a lot. Quiet. Nothing adult."

He nodded; his head was beginning to get fuzzy again, and his thoughts and senses sloshed in his head like spoiled milk.

To his dismay, she came to sit down with him.

"Naruto has been worried for you lately," Hinata said quietly.

"Oh? And why would big-important ANBU captain care about pathetic, worthless _me?_"

He hadn't meant it to come out as cruel as it sounded. It had been a simple mistake. But still, Hinata's face fell.

"O-oh. I didn't think you saw it that way... He's just worried, you are his friend after all..." her voice drifted away near the end.

Sasuke groaned inwardly at Hinata's hurt expression; had he really become this bitter? He had hoped it wouldn't matter, seeing their rivalry slip away so easily as Naruto came to fly, while he just... fell back to earth.

He'd seen Orochimaru die at his friend's hands, and he had been carried home by those same hands... He should be grateful.

"Are you all right?" Hinata looked at him curiously. "You haven't said anything in a while.."

Sasuke jerked out of his thoughts and cussed under his breath; damn pain killers were still making him woozy.

"Yes, I am."

For the first time, his eyes took in fully the girl who sat next to him.

She'd _changed_ over the years; her short, boring stature had been replaced with a tall, lithe body and decent posture. She'd grown her hair out, too; it hung down past her shoulders in pools of interchanging blacks.

She smiled.

"Would... you like to come into the bookstore with me?"

Sasuke felt himself nodding then getting up to follow her.

------------------------------------

"Okay. How about... Carley?"

"One of the best out there, definitely funnier than Fade."

Naruto let out a wild hoot of laughter, startling the man behind the ramen counter.

"Ah, so you _do_ have good taste! _Really good _taste!"

Tenten smiled modestly, slurping her soup down in a very un-lady-like way.

"Coming from the weirdo who won't admit _Cyers_ is _much_ better than that half-wit, Marey."

The blonde frowned. Anyone nearby would have thought they were discussing an important matter, not the quality of old comedians.

"No way! Marey's the best there is. No _has-been_ who can only do Scottish-dubs can best that!"

The conversation went as such for a few more minutes until they paused, thankfully to the Ichiraku owner who demanded they pay. (He didn't, however, tell them to get out; they were his best customers, after all.)

"Y'know, I'd never thought you could be so... Interesting," Naruto said with a chuckle after handing some yen over the counter.

"And just why not?" Tenten had a playful scowl on her face, brow furrowed in false disgust.

"I dunno, you were just always... blending in. You never made a move to get to know anyone..."

He stopped as soon as he realized he was the only one laughing.

"Ten..?"

"Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to stay in the back?"

Her dark, burgundy eyes bore deep into Naruto's baby-blues.

"I-I just mean, if you'd tried to make friends you definitely could! You're funny, I don't see what's holding you ba-"

"The more you have to hold onto, the less you have to go back to when it's been taken away."

She picked up her bowl, sipping the beef-flavored broth.

Naruto sat, stunned. The conversation had once again flip-flopped. He wondered briefly if it was just that time of month or if Tenten normally acted this way.

Silently, he sipped the sad remains of his own ramen.

It was quiet for those remaining three minutes 'til they finished and left.

_Were we really talking that long?_

He glanced up at the sky, which was now a bruised black and purple. When they had entered what only seemed like an hour earlier, it had been bright, blue skies and warmer than it'd been the past few days. Now it was freezing.

"Naruto..."

Hearing his name mentioned so suddenly break into the silence startled him.

"I-I'm sorry for snapping on you like that back there... I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on you." She smiled weakly.

"I shouldn't take out my social problems on you… It's not your fault Neji…" he voice began to drift away, the last word being a whisper.

"Ah. On the rebound?"

Tenten's eyes swung up wildly. He may be an airhead, but it didn't take him long to catch on.

"Is that too blunt?" he asked, giving her a toothy grin. "Sorry, I tend to be."

She eyed the road ahead as it faded into the rich violet light, leaves bathing the pavement in their brown-and-crackling glory.

"Nah… Just surprised you guessed so quickly…"

"So… I was right,"

They walked, feeling awkward as they head off towards the fork.

Tenten waved goodbye, then was about to sprint towards her house when a strong hand grabbed her arm.

"Don't you want me to walk you home?"

Inside that perfectly practical head, two voices were hollering.

_Doitdoitdoitdoit HE'S HOT!!!_

_Nooo, don't do it, this is baaad, he's ANBU, you're expendable…_

_Perfect Fairy-tale!_

_Perfect heartbreak…_

_DOIT!_

_Don't!_

"…Of course," she heard herself say.

They head down the street and, as she silently cursed at herself, she felt a strong arm wrapping around her shoulders.

Tenten jerked her eyes straight up to his, full aware of just how much her face was heating up.

"Wh-wha-?!"

"It's kind of cold. _You're_ freezing, by the way…"

Casually, Naruto slid his hand down to touch her arm. And he was right.

He kept it there, gingerly holding the skin of her arm as it broke into thousands of goose-bumps. She gulped.

Tenten looked up to glare at him, face still red.

"Who exactly are you..?"

He paused a moment, as if wondering how the answer that. She remembered vaguely that, when posed with a similar question as a kid, he would smile wide, revealing all his teeth and say, _'You're lookin' at the next hokage, Naruto Uzumaki! Nobody's gonna' beat me!!'_ She smiled to herself at this; my, how things had changed…

He kept staring towards the now dark horizon, still at loss for a way to present himself.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki… Newly appointed captain of the ANBU and future hokage."

* * *

AAAAAAAAH, I'M SORRY!!! I KEPT FORGETTING TO FINISH THIS!!! I'M SO SORRY!!! –crais-

…Oh, and the comedians are all plays on real ones; Jim Carey, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, David Spade.

...And I changed my pen name. Oo I'm no longer 'Tosa' but 'Harada-san'.


	4. Problems Arise

"_There are few words in the world to describe true bliss with, yet so many things with which to compare it; the coming of night and a good night's rest after a long and tiring day, the feeling of love, just as it begins… Just as you truly manage to grasp just what it is that makes you pine for her…."_

Sasuke flexed his hand, watching closely the spiny little bones and tendons that stuck out from it.

His smoky gray eyes wandered to the ceiling, and he wondered briefly why such a quote would come to mind. It was old, no doubt. Maybe from something he heard as a child, or his mother read to him. It was sort of what Hinata reminded him of. Except she was _real;_ she was there.

He closed his eyes, picturing her face; round, friendly, pools of shining black hair hung down by her face… those pupil-less, shy violet eyes peaking out from underneath them. He moaned, bringing a cold hand to rest on his forehead. The pain wasn't soothed.

------------------------------

It rained a lot in Konoha nowadays.

Tenten lay tired, face buried in her warm bed covers. The house was decently heated, but now and again a cold breeze that seemed to come from outside would sweep the house and leave her in a fit of shivers. An open window, she suspected. Not worth getting up and loosing her comfortable spot.

She stared at the floor, deep in thought, wishing Naruto hadn't been pulled away at the last second. Just as they had arrived at her door and she was debating whether or not to invite him inside, Neji had appeared, mask shielding his familiar pale eyes.

"_Naruto-ku… I mean, Naruto-san."_ He had bowed then before stating a quick apology. Apparently, there was an emergency, and the ANBU captain was needed _immediately_; there was no room for delay.

So they leapt off, Naruto giving a brief wave in Tenten's direction before disappearing in a smoggy cloak of smoke.

Tenten bit her lip. She hadn't seen him since.

She knew she shouldn't be worried; after all, they'd known each other barely week… Or more of, they'd become _close_ in this short week.

She lifted a hand to run nervously through her hair, picking at the hair ties and letting it loose.

It fell, a curtain of protection around her face, shielding it from whoever wasn't there.

She wondered briefly what Naruto was thinking.

------------------------------

Naruto stood panting at Konoha's outer gates, soaked in the drizzle that, until a few moments ago, had been a downpour.

"_Naruto, shouldn't you-?"_

"_Go on ahead… I have to think a moment."_

They had then carried the B class ninja they'd been sent to retrieve inside, leaving him behind. One of them had scowled, stating that if Naruto couldn't handle this, a newbie like him shouldn't even be there, much less be captain. Neji had hushed him up.

So now the blonde stood, drenched from water, mud, and perspiration, staring up at the looming, dark hulk that was their city… and took a deep breath before falling to his knees, clutching his gut, the burning pain searing from the seal around his navel.

"Not… now…"

He breathed heavily, hoping to get some oxygen into his lungs… He didn't.

The wild pain grew, just like it always did, as if _feeding_ off his misery filled cries. It had gone on for months, and it was getting harder and harder to hide it, harder and harder to stop it, to douse the sheer agony it brought forth. The fox was ready to blend their souls and make them one… permanently.

"I can't take this anymore…" he whispered. "Please…"

And there, in his mind's eye, the outline of a girl's smiling face began to form.

Two short, chocolaty bangs hung just above her eyes, and two tight, round buns like mouse ears rested on either side of her hairline.

Dark eyes watched him calmly; a lifetime's worth of wisdom and humor hidden behind. And her lips - smooth, delicate, pale - were pulled into an affectionate smile.

All at once the pain stopped.

Naruto stared, body relaxing at the puddle of murky water beneath him.

Slowly, he lifted a hand to grab onto to something – _anything_. His palm rested against the soggy wood of the door that blocked the rest of the world off from Konoha.

"T-Tenten..."

He breathed evenly for a few moments, finally able to catch his breath. _Thank god._ It had been much shorter than usual.

Naruto fell, face-first, into the mud.

-----------------------------

Tenten sat up in bed, panting wildly, staring forward, yet not really seeing anything.

Her hands curled around the thin material at her chest, feeling her heart pound against her fingers.

"A dream," she whispered aloud to herself, making sure she was right. "An awful one."

Tenten fell back against the pillows, letting the tense muscles in her back begin to relax. _I'm so losing it._

It had seemed so _real – _then again, all nightmares do. She could still see the outline of that young woman, bent over, bleeding, Naruto's image becoming more and more panicked, faded, drifting away as he held out his hands… reaching for this mysterious person.

Tenten had the strange, déjà vu-like feeling that she knew the girl, and the event seemed familiar, although she couldn't quite place how. Something about the blood red, ashen landscape made her wonder.

Then the girl had looked up.

Sheer terror had invaded her mind, blinding her and numbing her on the spot.

The girl, dirty, covered in her own blood – some gashes gushing, others drying over in a maroon-colored crust – had locked eyes with her. Immediately, Tenten had recognized that face, as mangled as it was.

She wanted to flee the spot and avoid this weird netherworld. This distant, hell-torn memory of what would and shouldn't happen.

_It was she, herself; Tenten was watching herself die._

But now she was relaxed, safe in her bed from the ghosts of her fears. Her eyes drooped as her mind rolled lazily over the thought, over… and over… until it vanished.

_The déjà vu must've just been part of the dream._

-------------------------------

"Where did you find him?"

"By the gates - we left him there last night. He said he had to do something, but he never came back… We were worried."  
Silence.

"Is… is he alright?"

"He's fine. Just suffering from exhaustion. He'll have to rest a few days, but he'll be good as new in no time. Neji, you can lead the squad until then."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

He gave a low bow before exiting the room.

Tsunade leaned against the door with a sigh, closing her eyes.

_Naruto… what's wrong with you?_

_

* * *

_

Hope you enjoyed. Sorry, I'm taking longer and longer to submit these… I'll try to get one out at _least_ once every two weeks, or week if I have to.


	5. The Possibility That Love Kind of Sucks

FINALLY! I'm so, sooo sorry. Anyway, the next chapter will be where it gets the T rating. Enjoy.

* * *

"Tenten..."

"Naruto?! Where have you been, I-"

"Look outside."

She paused, staring at the reciever in astonishment before turning to look out the window. From where she sat in an armchair several feet from the door, she could see someone on a cellular phone on her porch. Her mouth hung open at the unexpected surprise and, as their eyes met, the blonde gave a weak smile, mouthing the word, _hi._

"Na... Na..." Tenten found herself choking on her words.

Sluggishly, the hunched form on her doorstep rose the phone back up to his face, muttering, "Can I come in now? It's really cold. And damp."

She threw the phone at its cradle as she jumped up, catapulting herself at the door.

"_Naruto!_" The scream was more frantic than she'd meant it to sound, and her eyes seemed to widen in utter horror as she helped him - or at least, attempted - to cross the threshhold, where he collapsed on the spot.

"Tsunade says I can't go out yet. My condition's too bad. But I..." he looked up at her with a pathetic grimace. "really wanted to see-"

"_You idiot!!_"

The slap was hard and worked less to awake him than the biting cold had when he'd snuck through the hospital window.

"My god, have you any idea how _stupid you are?! _Why on earth would you risk your health to see _me?_"

Tenten had to admit, as he looked upon her with bright baby blues, that he truly did look sorry. Or at least, incredibly confused. And a little exhausted.

"But. I thought. You may be mad. Like I'd... Like I'd blown you off, or something..."

Okay, scratch that. He was _totally_ confused, and, by the thin - but impossibly dark - rims beneath his eyes, very sleep deprived. Somehow, Tenten thought, he probably wouldn't still make sense of it if he _was_ well rested.

"Let's eat."

The sudden change in mood and subject shocked Naruto; it was made clear by the look on his face.

"Whuh...?"

"I don't cook, so how 'bout some insta-cup?"

Tenten trotted into the kitchen before running back to help drag him in.

"I... I'm fine... I can walk on my own..."

His words were slurred as if he was intoxicated, not just restless. She shook her head firmly.

"_No._" The look on her face and grit to her voice were equally powerful. "Let me help you."

So he did; and, a few minutes later, he sat, hunched over her teeny, circular table, beginning to doze off. The warm temperature compared to that of the outside helped, along with the faint aroma of food wafting in the air. The kitchen was small, but cozy and brightly lit; the yellow walls and comfortingly orange-tiled floors helped add to the mood.

She set a bowl in front of him.

"Fork or spoon?"

He looked up at her.

"Uh. Fork."

She sat across from him as he nibbled at his noodles. The clock ticked.

Finally, she broke the impending silence and imposed the question she'd been pondering since long before he'd arrived.

"What happened to you?"

"Glad to hear you were worried about me." He slurped loudly as he could.

"No, I mean, what put you in this state?" A slight hysterical edge entered her voice.

"The usual. Stuff."

"You're... you're avoiding the question." It was just like a bad date movie.

"I'm telling you, I'm _fine._"

"You're _far_ from that!" She abruptly stood up.

A shatter split the air as her bowl flew off the table and broke into a thousand pieces. Tenten let a foul profanity slip past her lips as she bent to clean it up.

"Need my he-"

"No. Sit. Talk to me."

Naruto leaned back, listening to the scrape of glass as it was gathered from the linoleum tiles.

"Well?"

"I..." he paused, trying to choose his words correctly. "...collapsed near Konoha's gate."

He couldn't see her face, but he was sure it was skeptical. Or simply annoyed with him.

"Oh?"

He felt like a guilty child, admitting to a sin during a confessional. A kid who, unlike the rest, had a lot more on his consience than pulling his older sister's hair, or shaving the neighbor's cat bald. He found it hard to explain about the fact he'd had an attack that had nothing to do with medical conditions, but a demon sealed deep in the confines of his body. A demon that wanted out... And would do anything to get its own way.

"I... ingested some poisonous gas during the battle. The shinobi we fought used it as a weapon. It didn't begin to work until we had brought him back..."

Even as his voice trailed off near the end in uncertainty, he found it to be a satisfying answer. After all, he didn't lie much. This shouldn't affect his karma at all.

She stood up to throw the glass away, wearing an unreadable expression. Then again, maybe Tenten was too smart for him. Maybe she knew. Maybe they'd be at this all night until she forced him to tell-

"I'm guessing you want to stay here tonight, then?" She didn't even look up as she said this. "Obviously you can't make it home tonight."

"No. I'm fine. I can make it..."

Another hour passed without much happening. Naruto cleaned up the rest of the spill, even after several protests from Tenten. He then finished his ramen. Surprisingly, it -and his newfound sadness - woke him up enough to escape from her home and make it back to his apartment. He needn't return to the hospital. He healed faster than most, anyway.

He stood on the doorstep of his cramped, little home, eyes closed, rain beginning to get heavy; it had started to fall on his way over. How... deja vu oriented. Amazing how familiar this felt to him.

"_This. What... is this?_" his voice grew steadily softer.

He chewed - no - _gnawed_ on his lower lip, pondering the seemingly simple question. His heart felt ready to break in two and slide, like two stone slabs, to the bottom of his gut.

"_I... I'd rather... I'd rather die... I'd rather die than feel this..._"

He slipped down against the door, fingers clawing against the smooth surface pathetically, trying once again to get a grip...Trying once again to think straight... To figure out why it was all his fault, if it truly wasn't technically...

Nothing had happened, so why did he feel like utter shit?

_I want to see her again, even if it kills me._

Why would it kill him, though..? His thoughts were getting fuzzier, more screwed up as he tried so desperately to cling to the last chunks of consiousness.

He wasn't making sense. Why did he want to die? Why would seeing Tenten kill him? Did he want to see Tenten because it would kill him?

Despite the weather, in the cold, merciless arms of the rain, Naruto slipped into the comfort of unconsiousness.

------------------------------------------

"Sai, would you stop standing around? It's really pissing me off, and I have work to do!"

The boy was just as pale as the stark, white hospital walls he leaned nonchalantly against. His shock of short, black hair stood out, as did his equally black eyes and clothes. He was like the walking, talking - and sometimes, rudely gestering - version of the paintings he put so much time and effort into.

He eyed Sakura, eyes reflecting less emotion than the average human, yet so much more than when they had first met.

"Naruto. You said he was in room 25B, right?"

"Yes, yes, why?" She seemed so annoyed when she looked at him he hesitated before answering.

"He... isn't there."

She whipped her head around, nostrils flared, eyes wide.

"What. Did you. Say...?"

"He isn't there. I was wondering, maybe you got the room-"

Suddenly Sakura was sprinting down the halls, medical report forgotten as she went to see if Sai was telling the truth... He was.

The window was open, and rain spattered the floor in pools. Obviously, the ass hadn't even bothered to shut it when coming by.

She ground her teeth together, face red, teeth clenched.

"_NARUTO!_"

-------------------------------------------

That night, in the earliest hours of day, several hours before the sun toched the sky, Tenten cried.


	6. Phonecalls and a Few Misconceptions

I had time, so I quick wrote up this next chapter. Who knows when the next one will come out?

* * *

"COME BACK, DAMMIT!"

Naruto flinched, holding his home phone as far from his ear as possible.

"Eh. I'm kinda busy. Can we talk about this..?"

"No," Sakura snapped. From where she sat at the hospital's main desk, she could see Sai. He waved at her, despite being only a few steps away. She rubbed her brow.

"Tsunade… doesn't know yet. So please, _please_. Come back. You still haven't healed completely, and–"

"Sorry, Sakura…"

"Sorry? What, just come–"

A small noise, like a puff of air- or, more precisely, someone setting down a phone - was all that answered. She slammed the receiver back down onto the desk, cucumber eyes blazing.

The artist stretched lazily before stating, "So. He hung up on you."

"_Shut up, you scum!_" she hissed back, before glancing nervously down the hall.

"If we work at this right, we can keep her from finding out."

Sai tilted his head. "Yeah, but… why are you worried? Won't _he_ be the one to get in trou-?"

"No!" Sakura bit her lip, hunching over her desk in thought. "Miss _Hokage_ will blame me for letting him get away…"

"But that's unfair."

"Yeah." She replied, tone monotonous.

--------------------------------------

The second time the phone rang Naruto hesitated before picking it up.

"Hel-"

"Look, Sakura, I'm not coming back to the hospital, so you can just forget it!"

"_Hospital?! _You _did_ lie to me! Uzumaki, you-!!"

Naruto put his hand on the mouth piece, gulping. It wasn't Sakura on the other line, obviously. He cussed himself for being such a dumb ass.

"Te…Tenten…?"

"Yes it's me, doofus! Did you _really_ think you could hide this from me anyway?! You had to be _hospitalized?_ _Why didn't you tell me?!_"

"Well, it's a long story…"

"Longer than the one you told me?"

"No, actually, it's just…" he sighed heavily, not bothering to hide his annoyance. Women were so… well, as Shikamaru said, _troublesome._

"Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

Utter silence. He wondered briefly if she had hung up.

"Testing, testing, one two-"

He was greeted by sniffling on the other line.

"I… I thought you were hurt, but… You sound so much better than you did yesterday. It's like you weren't even sick…"

The blonde blinked in surprise. She was right; and he _felt_ better, too.

"I tend to… heal faster than others."

Tenten's voice was stronger when she replied, with only the faintest hint of tears. Naruto didn't notice; what she said next was all he could focus on. And more than he could handle.

"I'm coming over."

"WHAT?! I mean…" He cleared his throat. "I-I mean, shouldn't you… uh…"

"I'm coming over to check you. I know some medical ninjutsu myself," she said, and he could tell she took pride in this ability. "You forget I used to worship Tsunade."

He had little interest in this fact, and ignored the bit about _"used to"_. He had bigger fish to fry.

"Please Tenten. _Don't_ come!"

"Why not?"

"I-I-I'm not DECENT!!!"

"Oh," she said, and for a moment he felt relieved. "Well, you can get dressed before I arrive."

His face flushed as he tried to analyze the situation; this was exactly why he sucked at relationships. "Ten-!"

"I'm on my way!"

And she hung up. Naruto dropped the phone, a look of horror slowly spreading across his face.

-----------------------------------------

He waited for her on the doorstep, smiling – correction, _grimacing_ - when she arrived.

"Eh. Hi. Tenten. Uh. What's up?"

"Uh. I. Really. Dunno," she teased. "The sky?"

"Oh, haha! G-good one…" Naruto struggled to hide his dread. He could already picture her, removing his shirt to examine the muscles, running her fingers along every crack… The sweet smell of her perfume as she leaned forward-

He very nearly brought a hand to choke himself after that one. But, worried about how she might react to his odd behavior (and the possibility she might suggest a much more _thorough_ examination) he contained himself.

"So! Since you already _see_ how _fine_ I am, why don't you just leave?"

"Why?" She smiled, the corners reaching up to each friendly, brown eye. "Can't we spend some time together?"

Despite himself, he jumped at the chance. "Well, yeah!"

_You really are a dumb ass,_ a voice in the back of his head pointed out. _Dumb ass._

_Stop yelling at me!_ He thought back. It didn't occur to him that this wasn't healthy. Or that he was making faces.

"Are you okay?" Tenten said worriedly. "You don't seem to be acting normally…" suddenly, her face brightened, and in return, so did her smile. "I know!"

Her dainty, slender fingers wrapped around his hand, seeming sort of fragile in comparison. She dragged him, saying, "Come on!"

"What're you doing?"

"'Treating you to ramen."

He caved almost immediately.

-----------------------------------------------

"That was good! And you seem better," Tenten looked at Naruto happily. But her bright demeanor melted when she saw the distant, disturbed expression he wore. "Naruto…?"

She sighed heavily, letting go of his hand. "You should be happy. I paid this time."

He was still pretty distant; but at least his expression had softened. Still, she felt ready to take back the comment about him being better.

"Tenten." It was the first time he'd spoken all through their meal. "Please. Walk with me."

For a moment, a look of disbelief – and maybe something else – flashed in her eyes. "Alright."

The fresh, dewy air made it easier to think, and soon Naruto found his stomach settling. His hand found hers.

Neither was sure of what was going on; but they were both comfortable with it. The other's presence to them was, in itself, enough.

Suddenly, Tenten grabbed the looming hulk of an ANBU captain next to her, slamming him against a tree. He stared at her incredulously; what was with the sudden violence?

The look she gave him didn't answer his questions; just tangled them further from his understanding.

"Na… Naruto…"

She looked up at him and, thanks to the hurt expression etched deep into the skin of her beautiful face, he was overcome with the need to… well… _kiss_ her. Forget social standings. Forget ranks. He… really, _really_ liked Tenten. Part of him wished she felt the same. Actually… All of him did.

"I'm not sure how to put this. I always thought it was silly," she was babbling now, stalling to keep from having to reveal the truth. "the girl would always say, 'I've never felt like this before,' and the boy would reply with some cheesy co-"

She choked back on her words as his lips pressed meaningfully against hers. She was stunned; but not quite so surprised. Naruto relied too much on his instincts to make decisions.

"Uh-"

Her voice was faint as her eyes drooped, and she truly began to enjoy the feeling. It didn't bother her it was moving fast, no more than it bothered Naruto. It was happening. That was all that mattered.

Soothingly, he held her head in his hands, fingers gently rubbing and caressing the silky sheen of her hair, which began to blend with the fading light, making it harder and harder for them to see each other. The grove of trees only helped to diminish the sunlight.

Her hands were no longer at her sides, but holding onto Naruto's wrists; she felt lightheaded, and needed something to balance herself.

Their lips un-touched, but only for a moment, as they stood, gasping for air.

And this time they locked; Tenten threw her arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms about her waist.

"Wh-what if…"

"Right here…"

They sank to nature's grass-lined floor.


	7. The Final Stand

"Naruto? Naruto!"

Kiba waved his hand in the 17-year-old's face.

"Naaaaaarutooo!"

"Eh?" the blonde replied groggily, blinking.

"You seem distant. You weren't really focusing these last two days on our mission at all. I thought you'd be back to normal when it was over, but..." he shook his head, mimicking deep concern. "I guess I was wrong."

Naruto poked the canine shinobi in the forehead with a scowl. "Shut up, Kiba."

The brunette shrugged. "Just sayin'... You seem kinda' happy." He grinned. "Got a _girlfriend?_"

The blonde grimaced. Was it really that obvious, that he was so deeply concerned about it, he didn't notice he wasn't paying any attention to anyone?

It wasn't that he was sad; far, _far_ from it. That night in the park with Tenten was one of the best in his life. He just felt they were sort of... rushing it, almost.

"NARUTO! You're doing it again!" Kiba scowled. "You've got this dumb smile on your face. You get laid or something?"

"_What?_" he hissed, a dark blush flaring up his cheeks. "N-no! I mean, why would you think..."

"Just seein'." the other said with a toothy grin. He knew he had won.

"Whatever! Like I wanna' talk to you."

But, after hesitating a few seconds outside of the Hokage's office, he immediately went back.

"Uh... Tsunade... Would you happen to know where Tenten is..?"

"THAT'S WHO YOU'RE-?!"

"She's out on a classified mission."

Naruto frowned, brow furrowing. "Oh." Without another word – or looking in the direction of the now spluttering Kiba – he left.

But sure enough, unable to contain himself he immediately stuck his head back in.

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

Tsunade gave a slightly annoyed grimace.

"No, in fact, I don't. It'll take several days, though."

Naruto backed out for a second, only to re-enter a moment later to ask, "Is-"

Tsunade slammed her hands on the table, looked him straight in the eye, and through grit teeth said, "The mission is B-rank, she's with Rock Lee and Maito Gai, they're going to assassinate someone on the outskirts of Kumogakure and _yes I do know the risks, but they really aren't any of your business, now, are they?_" She sat back triumphantly.

"Ah," Naruto replied, once he was finally given a chance to breath. "I see."

With that he turned and ran, as fast as he could.

**5 Days Later**

Naruto bit his lip, staring out between the orange-brown canopies that still stuck to the scraggly tops of the trees, refusing to fall. He let out a tortured sigh. She still wasn't back yet.

**7 Days Later**

He was beginning to lose himself in the possibility Tenten was dead. Over and over he mumbled, "Please… Please…" as if some higher being would take pity on him, and if she was indeed dead, allow her to rise from the grave. Of course this was stupid, because you can't bring back the dead, and actually Tenten wasn't dead, but exremeley tired and hunched over behind a bush, waiting for her target to come into view. Still, Naruto had no way of knowing this, and couldn't help but think of Gaara, who had suffered a similar situation only a few years before.

**Friday**

Tenten staggered through the main gate and head towards the inner city, body racked with exhaustion.

Their target had escaped _three damn times_ before finally she'd caught up with him and… Well. Let's just say it involved shoving and a plethora of jagged rocks. Amazing how easy something that had seemed so difficult a few days before could turn out to be.

"_Tenten!_"

There was that blur of blonde again, so fast that before she realized it he was holding her so close, hot breath in her neck, seeming so distraught it'd been as if she'd… well, died and come back to life.

Naruto held her, ignoring the stares he earned from the two "green beasts" standing just a few yards away. Thankfully, they caught the signal of his annoyed stare and left.

Tenten planted a tender kiss on his neck; the embrace was so powerful she couldn't move, and it vaguely reminded her of Gai. She laughed to herself for thinking this.

"Naruto," she struggled.

"Tenten.."

"No, Naruto… You're crushing me… You're crushing my arm…"

"OH!" He let her go. Something about how quickly, how abruptly he had pushed her away made her sad. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" In a flash his face was pale as understanding washed over him.

"AAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

He had her in an embrace again, making it worse.

"My god, are you hurt? We've got to get you some help, this is-"

"It's just a small wound, but you'll make it damn bigger if you keep hugging the shit out of me!"

Naruto stepped away. The idiot was grinning; his whisker-like markings were arched along his cheeks.

"So… You're okay? You're really and seriously okay, right?"

"I'm absolutely _fine_."

---------------------------------

"I'm so sorry… But it's bad. It's really bad."

She didn't look up. Meeting those eyes would hurt her, so badly.

"It's not bad enough we can't help."

"I don't have the money."

"It's cheap."

"No, it isn't."

"I'll make it cheap."

"I still can't pay that."

"Then it can be free."

Now she did look up, but not without avoiding the eyes.

"Tenten," Sakura continued, "please. The infection will only get so much worse. Soon, we won't be able to handle it. _Please_."

Tenten leaned back, clutching her hands to her forehead. Cold.

"I… I need time to think about this."

"One week," Sakura replied. "Take it or leave it."

She was beginning to feel like she was stuck in some awful, awful soap opera where the outcome could either be unrealistically beautiful… or tragic.

"Fine," said Tenten, "I'll consider the operation."

**One Week Later**

Naruto had only seen her once since then, briefly in passing.

It was worse than the first time, just a little while ago, that he had waited for her. There was one profound difference. Not that she was right beneath his nose and he couldn't talk to her, or the thousands of unanswered messages he'd left on her answering machine. But according to Neji, she'd be going into surgery soon. And that was the scariest part.

**And Another Week Passed…**

Naruto hadn't slept in days, and was feeling a bit under the weather. Every waking thought was Tenten. Every dream was death.

It was on that day, as the sunlight smothered his room in a sickeningly cheery glow (the exact opposite of what he was feeling) that he realized something was dreadfully, dreadfully wrong.

He got up quickly, not bothering to brush or clean or shower, threw on his clothes, and rushed from his apartment in mere seconds.

He dashed along the main streets, back streets, twisting around houses and cussing when he hit a dead end and was delayed. Nervously, he focused on the empty, biting hunger in the pit of his stomach, trying to ignore the raw emotion that lay just underneath… the tickling, gut-tearing nausea that came with dread.

Frame by frame, the vision of Sasuke, hunched over, so bloody he couldn't even recognize the familiar features of his body and pretty face. His childhood companion so caked in blood and gore, half of which wasn't his own but just enough was that his condition was critical. He could see the crimson spray, coming from his mouth every few second when he gave out an especially ragged breath… He remembered gathering the body, so carefully as to not to hurt him, not caring if he did get the sticky red substance all over himself. He'd left Orochimaru's corpse, equally unidentifiable to rot. He was dead. No skin off his bones. (At this he'd been racked by a cold shudder.) Besides, even if he wasn't he wouldn't have gone back. Sasuke was too important to him.

"Naruto!"

The voice brought him out of his chain of thoughts, and he whirled to see Neji standing so confused in the opening of the alleyway Naruto had decided to duck into.

"What…?"

He sighed in relief; obviously, the Hyuuga didn't remember today was the day Tenten would be released from the operation room, and he was thankful for that. It meant he'd be saved the pain, at least another moment.

"I have something to do today, you take over our squad!"

"But where are you-"

_He can't know, he can't know!_

"It's important okay? Just please…"

Without another word he took off, jumping, faster and faster, more and more frantic, the other sense building up higher and higher until he felt it might topple from the weight. His friend's cries echoed uselessly into the background.

"_No... NO_…"

The world was racing by in multicolored blurs. People's murmurs bounced off the invisible walls of this hell-torn Twilight Zone that he himself had created from the epitomes of his deepest fears… He could almost hear his own tortured cries for help, which were the faintest in this place.

In an instant, this hallucination halted. It was gone as abruptly as it had come into existence. He was now outside the hospital. He didn't remember getting there.

Slowly, so slowly, like everything had gone from fast-forward to slow-motion, he pushed pass the front doors, the sound of the echoes as they went back into place deafening.

A few minutes later he arrived in a small, stark white room, escorted by someone he was sure he knew but didn't feel like making sure. His eyes were all for the girl lying motionlessly on the table in the middle of the room. A white blanket covered her body, and only the head showed. A disgusting stain of interchanging reds showed through the right side.

With a trembling hand he reached out to touch her face, the smooth beautiful skin now reflecting in the light a perfect, colorless porcelain.

Her hair was down and many dozens of strands stuck to her peaceful face in ways that he knew would usually cause her to be annoyed and brush them away… She did nothing of the sort now.

Naruto fell to his knees, soon to be a grown man in a few years time, and broke into hysteric sobs. All Tsunade could do as she stood, lost and out of place in the doorway was shake her head sadly and watch.

---------------------------------

Naruto took a deep breath of the humid summer air, not caring that he had wasted an entire evening conversing with a gravestone.

"So, that's my story. Some more stuff happened, like the attack Kirigakure launched on Konoha, but I'm sure you knew all about that, seeming as that's how half those people we used to know got to you. But we can talk about it tomorrow, okay? We have a lot of catching-up to do."

For a second Naruto wondered at how silly he must have looked, playfully punching a mere hunk of stone stuck in the ground.

He hunched over, hugging his knees in a more comfortable position for a moment before stating, "I'd figured it out from day one, you know. How you bribed Kakashi with playboy mags, I mean. To advise me as not only ANBU, but captain." He sighed, stretching a bit. "Your last gift to me, I guess."

The stone did not reply.

Slowly, slowly, Naruto stood up, again grunting as his joints cracked uncomfortably.

"I'm too old for this crap."

His steps began to falter slightly as he neared the very stone, the very reason he'd avoided coming here all these years. If he'd at least come for Iruka, or Kakashi or anyone else, he would've wanted to come here. And he would've seen the writing on the plaque he wished he would've asked to change when he had the chance.

Tenten

But she'd been so much more than that. She'd been _worth_ a thousand words, a hundred novels, a million pictures.

Something caught his eye, and he leaned down to investigate. His heart skipped a beat.

_There was something hidden by the moss._

Frantically, losing the collected calm he had worked so hard to keep this whole time, he dug away at the cruel earth to reveal several more lines of writing that was almost poetic:

_She Died Happy and in Love._

_May We Never Forget Her_

_Or Her Contagious Smile_

He let out a smothered choke. It wasn't the words that got him. "Sai… You son a bitch…" He smiled, blinking past tears. "My god, you stupid, _stupid_ son of a bitch…"

Carved just bellow the three lines was the perfect likeness of Tenten

He could now just hear what she'd told him the night they'd made love, the night their affections soared higher and faster than rockets on New Year. The love that made another love so powerful that it could never be severed, even after she died and his heart shriveled to a withered husk of being.

"_Are you sure you want to do this? It won't hurt you at all?"_

_And, after a long pause, she replied, "'I'd rather be hurt to heal than die painlessly alone."

* * *

_

Wow, I never dreamed After Twenty Years would be finished the weekend before my birthday! Care to shower me with reviews as a gift? ;)

I thank you all so much for reading. Hope the ending wasn't too much of a cliffhanger.


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